What If I Find Head Lice On My Child
By Jeff Foster
Finding lice on your child’s head won’t probably be the most traumatic event you’ll experience as a parent, however initially (until you’ve done some research) you may go into a bit of a panic mode.
First of all, head lice are a type of parasite which means they have to have a host in order to survive. In the case of head lice, their host is us humans… and more often than not your children. Children far and away are the most probable to be infested because of the close contact with each other in a school setting.
Head lice infestation can spread quickly through contact with the infected person’s head. So once the child becomes infested at school the problem can quickly spread throughout the family.
Let’s take a quick look at how you can check for the presence of head lice on your children.
Since head lice survive on human blood, when they are on your child’s head, they will crawl around (they don’t hop or fly) with the assistance of their tiny claws and find a spot to feed. This is the sensation that your child will feel… since these critter are so small this activity is by no means painful… rather very itchy.
Probably the easiest telltale sign of head lice is by finding the presence of their ‘nits’ (their eggs). The nits get attached to hair follicles very close the base; near the host’s scalp (so they can stay warm and incubate). They are a yellow, tan, or brown color when present on your child’s hair follicles. In fact, they may appear to look like dandruff, but you can easily tell the difference by trying to remove the particle.
The head lice ‘nit’ is adhered to the hair follicle by a natural adhesive. So, if you have trouble removing the speck because it doesn’t seem to want to let go; then that speck may very well be a nit. The nits are easier to find than the actual lice because the actual head lice are a shy group and won’t like light you will probably be using, so check for these first. Simply part your child’s hair by sections (the use of a magnifying glass may be useful) and look closely for the nits.
If you do detect the presence of head lice on your child, you should notify the school or day care that your child attends. Outbreaks and infestations can rapidly deploy because a single female louse can lay upwards of 200 eggs before they are done.
Although not dangerous or devastating, treating and ridding your child of these annoying critters must be done thoroughly. If you leave but one of the lice behind, you will probably be dealing with a re-infestation.
For more important information on getting rid of head lice be sure to visit
www.rid-headlice.com where you will find advice and tips on head lice treatment and removing these critters.
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